Eating Like a Local – Foods in Santorini

For many, the perfect way to truly know and understand a place you are visiting is to try its food. The local, traditional delicacies, the specialties dedicated to particular celebrations, the everyday dishes that have been handed down by generations; the food the locals eat!

For first time travellers reaching Santorini, that may be a feat easier said than done, but after these tips, you’ll be placing your order like a local for sure! Here are some foods you simply must try when in Santorini, if you feel like eating like a local!

To begin with, Santorini is brimming with restaurants, taverns, beach bars and snack bars that serve gastronomic dishes from Greek and Mediterranean cuisine to Asian or continental dishes, perfect for every taste. But traditionally, the Greek style of eating out is the “taverna”, a cozy eatery that serves the local style of tapas “mezedes”, small dishes of scrumptious bites meant for sharing accompanied by ouzo, retsina or wine. You will find some gorgeous traditional tavernas at Pyrgos, Megalochori and Episkopis Gonia, as well as in any other village and town on the island.

The first thing you should ask for is undoubtedly the famed Fava of Santorini; the indigenous variety of fava beans is exquisite! Another delicious appetizer typical of Santorini is the tomato-fritters, made with the fiery cherry-tomato that only grows here. The Santorinian eggplant is white, hearty, it never tastes bitter and it absorbs minimal oil when fried; the white eggplant fritters and the traditional eggplant spread are a revelation! Chloro cheese is a creamy fresh goat’s cheese that isn’t commercially produced but some taverns may carry their own – limited stock; if you find one, don’t miss out on the opportunity; pair it with a glass of Assyrtiko from Santorini and enjoy the finest pleasures in life!

Bonus tip! If you pass by a local bakery, you’ll probably be mesmerized by a mouthwatering fragrance; ask for the fresh batch of melitinia or tsoureki and prepare to be amazed!

After these treats, you will see Santorini under a different prism; that of a local, of one who knows the treasures hidden in the simple things, the pleasures that makes this island so special!

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Feelings, feelings, feelings ...

From the first moment, I believed that there is soo much more than meets the eye and that this is truly a country unlike any other. It was the simplicity of its beauty, the warmth of its people, with its most delicious cuisine that made me feel that this it what life is all about.